This invention relates to an infant-restraining protective seat placed on and secured to the seat of a vehicle such as an automobile. More particularly, the invention relates to an infant-restraining protective seat having an inflatable seat belt at least a portion of which is formed into a bag-like shape, wherein the seat belt is maintained in a belt-like form under ordinary conditions and is inflated by gas from gas generating means at the time of an emergency.
In a vehicle such as an automobile, restraining protective seats for infants have been used in order to maintain the seated posture of an infant during travel and protect the infant from shock at the time of acceleration and deceleration. An infant restraining and protective seat of this kind has a reclinable seat main body in which the infant sits. The main body is provided with an infant seat belt for restraining the seated infant, and a chest-contact pad attached to the end of the infant seat belt.
The distal end of the chest-contact pad is provided with a tongue, and the seat main body is provided with a buckle capable of holding the tongue in such a manner that the tongue can be freely engaged with and disengaged from the buckle. In a state in which the tongue is engaged with the buckle, the infant is restrained by the infant seat belt and chest-contact pad.
In a restraining protective seat of this kind, however, the width of the webbing constituting the infant seat belt is not very large, and therefore a comparatively large load acts upon the infant locally when the infant is restrained by the webbing.
In efforts to solve this problem, inflatable seat belt apparatus for automobiles or the like have been proposed, as disclosed in the specifications of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (KOKAI) Nos. 47-26830 and 49-88220, in which the webbing is formed into the shape of a bag and functions as an ordinary seat belt by being maintained in a belt-like shape under ordinary circumstances. In the event of an emergency, a gas emitted from gas generating means is introduced into the bag-shaped webbing, thereby inflating the webbing so that the passenger is restrained by the inflated webbing. Thus, the webbing functions as an air belt. In accordance with an inflatable seat belt apparatus of this kind, the webbing receives the kinetic energy of the passenger over a wider area. Since the load is thus dispersed, the load which acts upon the passenger becomes comparatively small and the passenger is protected much more effectively.
It is desired that a protective seat for infants also be provided with an air-belt function by applying the air belt of the inflatable seat belt apparatus disclosed in the above-mentioned publications to an infant seat belt in the above-mentioned protective seat for infants.
Though a protective seat for infants is comparatively small and easy to carry, it is very difficult to directly apply the inflatable seat belt apparatus disclosed in the aforesaid publications to such a protective seat for infants that is capable of being easily carried. For example, it is difficult to reliably supply the gas from the gas generating means to the air belt by means of a simple structure.